Recent history notwithstanding, Arizona State has always been known as a baseball school first and foremost. Only four programs in the nation have won more national titles and none lay claim to more MLB players than the Sun Devils. Now, just a few weeks before the 2025 season kicks off, Arizona State is making a significant investment in their baseball program.
SCOOP: @ASU_Baseball intends to go all-in on the scholarship front in college baseball, and is expected to offer 34 full scholarships beginning in 2026. #ASU also will participate in revenue sharing for baseball, and will do millions in improvements to PHX Muni in the offseason.…
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) February 6, 2025
As the landscape of college athletics continues to evolve, Arizona State has opted to commit to using the entirety of their new maximum of 34 scholarships for their baseball program. That's a big deal, considering a good chunk of baseball programs around the nation are not expected to max out at 34.
Given that Arizona State athletics director Graham Rossini, who was previously the baseball administrator before being promoted last year, recently committed to prioritizing football above all other sports when it comes to NIL money allocation, this is a smart strategic move for baseball.
Since head coach Willie Bloomquist, entering his fourth season in Tempe, won't have hundreds of thousands of dollars to hand out, being able to instead offer more scholarships than other opponents on the recruiting trail helps level the playing field somewhat.
As for the actual dollars and cents, Arizona State is also expected to opt into revenue sharing for baseball, an outcome of the House v NCAA settlement. This will provide at least some financial aid to baseball players, on top of the added bonus of an expanded scholarship allotment.
Finally, the Sun Devils are also expected to commit millions towards structural improvements to the Phoenix Municipal Stadium where the baseball team plays. Last renovated in 2003, the Muni has been home to Sun Devil baseball since 2015.
All of these investments, which aren't expected to fully come to fruition until next year, signal a meaningful shift on focus from the athletic department. This isn't a shock, as Rossini's background comes in baseball, having worked for the Diamondbacks for 13 seasons before returning to his alma mater.
Bloomquist, a former Sun Devil player who enjoyed a 14-year career in the majors, has seen some moderate success in his three years leading the program. The Sun Devils have won 32 games each of the last two seasons, improving their conference record each year, but have failed to make the College World Series tournament up to this point.
The 2025 season, set to commence on February 14 against Ohio State, is viewed as a potentially pivotal one with several star players returning. To get this kind of announcement so close to the season opener is a huge boon for the future outlook of the program.